Subject(s)
Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/diagnosis , Tongue Neoplasms/diagnosis , Aged , Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/drug therapy , Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/pathology , Disease Progression , Humans , Lung Neoplasms/drug therapy , Lung Neoplasms/secondary , Male , Tongue/pathology , Tongue Neoplasms/drug therapy , Tongue Neoplasms/pathology , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of combined treatment with trastuzumab (T), gemcitabine (gem) and vinorelbine (vin) as second-line therapy for HER-2 overexpressing metastatic breast cancer, pretreated with anthracyclines and/or taxanes and/or trastuzumab. Eligible patients had HER-2/neu-positive disease (IHC 2+ or 3+), performance status (PS)
Subject(s)
Antibodies, Monoclonal/therapeutic use , Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/therapeutic use , Breast Neoplasms/drug therapy , Breast Neoplasms/pathology , Deoxycytidine/analogs & derivatives , Receptor, ErbB-2/metabolism , Vinblastine/analogs & derivatives , Adult , Aged , Antibodies, Monoclonal/administration & dosage , Antibodies, Monoclonal/adverse effects , Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized , Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/adverse effects , Deoxycytidine/administration & dosage , Deoxycytidine/adverse effects , Deoxycytidine/therapeutic use , Female , Humans , Middle Aged , Neoplasm Metastasis , Receptor, ErbB-2/analysis , Trastuzumab , Up-Regulation , Vinblastine/administration & dosage , Vinblastine/adverse effects , Vinblastine/therapeutic use , Vinorelbine , GemcitabineABSTRACT
Mucinous colorectal cancer with signet ring cell aspects is a rare form of adenocarcinoma representing about 2-5% of large bowel neoplasms. The tumor frequently presents with late-stage or peritoneal spreading. It can often affect young patients and diffusely infiltrate through all layers of the intestinal wall. Local recurrence and distant metastases are common in spite of surgical operation and adjuvant treatment, conditioning a poor prognosis. At the present, early diagnosis and complete resection are the most important approaches to improve the outcome. In our report we describe a case of a 41-yr-old patient with very aggressive untreated metastatic colorectal signet ring cell carcinoma. The fulminant tumor progression was really unexpected and misled every possible medical interpretation, leading to rapid worsening of the patient's clinical conditions and no chance for chemotherapy treatment. The tumor mimicked the picture observed in the acute leukemia, developing diffuse infiltration in all serosal membranes, liver, lung, kidneys, multiple lymph nodes, and meninges, as revealed by the post-mortem medical report.